


no matter how much i run (i can’t escape from it)

by bugitonight (pikasoos)



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Emotional Constipation, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:33:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17212922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikasoos/pseuds/bugitonight
Summary: Daniel is a mess at the slightest mention of his hometown, and now has to deal with why he avoids Busan too much.Fleeting moments as Officer Kang rushes off to catch a killer.





	no matter how much i run (i can’t escape from it)

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from epik high’s run. Also I know nothing about law enforcement, I just watch a lot of brooklyn nine nine and I watched signal, which is an excellent but heavy drama so please prepare your hearts if you ever decide to watch it. 
> 
> Used prompt#30 from the masterlist
> 
> To the prompter, I hope I did your prompt justice ;; One day I will write more of this universe and flesh everything out, but that day is not today.
> 
> Thank you to the mods, for holding this event and I apologize for going beyond my set deadline thank you for accepting me anyway.
> 
> Finally, thank you to C, for being my biggest cheerleader even though I was very insecure about my writing lol.

Of all the things Daniel has done, dropping his weapon while a gun is pointed at his ex-boyfriend’s temple is definitely part of the top ten craziest.

It’s even crazier when the person holding the gun is actually someone he knew from high school.

“Drop it!” The perp screeches, yanking harder on Minhyun’s hair and pressing the barrel against his temple. “Drop it or I’ll blow his head off.”

“It’s already on the ground, Choi.” 

Daniel keeps his hands up where they can be seen, looking for any opening. Minhyun’s conscious, and while his expression set into a mask of calmness, Daniel can see how his bound fists are clenched in nervousness.

The gun is soon pointed at Daniel; Choi’s hands shaking as he tries to keep him away. It’s the moment Minhyun needs to kick at Choi’s feet, making him lose his balance but not his grip on the gun.

Fuck. 

 

-

 

_Two days ago_

Now that Daniel is twenty-seven, he can safely say that he doesn’t like working during the holidays.

There are more people outside, for one—on the streets, on the sidewalks, in just about every public place he can think of. It’s what makes occasions like Seollal glaring targets for the drunk and disorderly.

But then there are occasions like this, where a distress call sends him and his partner to a high-scale apartment in Gangnam. What they meet there makes the D&Ds much more attractive in comparison.

The corpse is sprawled on the ground, a pool of blood steadily growing near the neck area while the victim’s eyes and mouth are open, frozen in horror as the life ebbed out of him.

It’s not his first dead body, it hasn’t been for years, but it’s different when it’s someone you know, even if the acquaintance is vague. It does nothing to loosen the tightness Daniel feels in his chest when he thinks of another senseless death, another life snuffed out for whatever reason. 

He steals a glance at his partner—who hides his own discomfort better—because Seongwoo has always been better at maintaining a poker face.

“Victim is Kim Kyungwoon.” Seongwoo reads off the list he had compiled after they had spoken to both the caller and coroner. “Twenty-five, originally from Busan. He’s a writer of young adult novels and was last seen working on his latest manuscript when he was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest. No signs of forced entry, and there’s also a carving of an insignia on the corpse as well, presumably made after Kim was murdered.”

“He’s always been quiet during high school. I had no idea he lived in Seoul now… Any known enemies?” Daniel asks, sighing when Seongwoo consults his list and comes up negative.

“None, according to the neighbors. That insignia though…”

“What about it?”

“Aren’t one of the Busan precincts handling a similar case?”

Daniel pauses at that, nodding slowly. The Busan incidents had even made the Seoul papers, with four murders committed in the same gruesome fashion and all four victims baring an insignia of a small flame surrounded by a circle on their left hip. Four murders in the span of four months, but whoever was handling the case in Busan had kept any further information under wraps. All the public knew were the victims’ last names, and they’re too common to go snooping around for more.

“We’ll need to ask Captain Yoon for permission to collaborate with the lead detective from that precinct.” Seongwoo says, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “Either they send us over there or send their team over here…”

“The second one’s more likely,” Daniel points out. “And that’s _if_ this case is related. We can’t just assume.”

Seongwoo decides not to pursue the conversation, settling for speaking with the coroner for more information. 

His partner is always slightly on edge when Busan comes up in a conversation, and this time is no exception.

 

-

 

Daniel’s skittishness does not subside for the rest of the day, not when they head back to the precinct and definitely not when Captain Yoon calls him and Seongwoo into the briefing room. 

The captain’s usual bright cheer isn’t present when they enter, frowning as he’s perusing files.

“Okay, Detectives,” Jisung starts, and he looks at a folder from his place behind the podium. “What’s this I hear about your homicide and the Busan murders?”

“The method of killing and the mark left on the victims are quite similar, Captain,” Seongwoo starts, hands behind his back. “It’s a lead we can look into, but we can’t rule out the notion of a copycat murder either.”

“I see.” Jisung places the folder down on the table, hands folded. “I’ll place a call to Busan precinct 5, who are currently handling the case there. Have them send one of the primaries for the case down here to discuss while one of you go down to Busan for a few days if they need any intel from us. Daniel?”

Daniel opens his mouth to speak, hell-bent on trying to figure out a way to word himself when Seongwoo decides to act like a best friend for once. “Captain, I think we’ll need to keep Detective Kang here. The D.A. likes him better, we’ll need him to speak with them if we need any assistance from their end. I’ve also been to Busan a few times as well.”

“Ong Seongwoo admitting to something like that?” Jisung raises an eyebrow at that, surprised but pleased. “Sounds suspect, but I’ll take it. Jaehwan will be booking the train ticket for tomorrow at noon.” 

“If things go well with B5, then you’ll be picking up your temporary partner around the same time as well.”

 

-

 

That’s how Daniel finds himself at the train station the next day, hands shoved inside his coat pockets as he sees Seongwoo off. Surprisingly, Seongwoo looks calm, the total opposite of their usual dynamics when they’re not working on a case.

“I’m cold,” Daniel whines. Seongwoo rolls his eyes as he takes out his spare gloves and hands them to his partner.

“That’s what you get for forgetting your gloves at home.” Seongwoo admonishes, poking Daniel’s side. “Don’t do anything dumb while I’m gone. I can’t believe I’m leaving you here for the time being…”

“I’m not five.” Daniel rolls his eyes, but puts the gloves on anyway. “And I’ll be fine. I’m not you.”

“I’m choosing to ignore that because you’re my best friend and I just saved your ass from confronting your repressed emotions in Busan.” 

Seongwoo reaches out to clap Daniel’s back, grinning when he scowls. “Let’s just hope whoever they’re sending from B5 is competent and not one of those smarmy assholes who think they’re God’s gift to the force.” 

“Fine.” Daniel sighs, checking his watch. Seongwoo’s train leaves in half an hour, while his new partner’s train arrives in fifteen minutes. “Say hi to Jonghyun and the rest of the guys for me.”

“By _‘the rest of the guys’_ does that include—”

“ _Seongwoo hyung_.”

“Just checking.”

They say goodbye after that, Seongwoo boarding the train to get a good seat while Daniel holds up a whiteboard with an S11 (for Seoul Precinct 11) written on it. It feels a bit odd, knowing that they’ll still be working on the same case, but with a different person to go over things with.

A few more minutes pass before the train from Busan comes in, Daniel straightening up immediately with his sign in hand. He’s slightly anxious, but Captain Yoon had said that the primary B5 had sent over was quite capable and one of the best in his precinct. 

_Busan has fifteen precincts_ , he reminds himself. _It’s a huge city with lots of people. Stop the aggressive worrying._

Unfortunately, the odds are seemingly against him when an all-too familiar voice calls out his name.

“Kang Daniel?”

Because standing right in front of him is Hwang Minhyun, carrying a large duffel bag and a backpack, mouth falling open when he sees the sign Daniel is holding. 

He wonders if it’s too late to switch places with Seongwoo.

 

-

 

The ride to the police station is silent, awkward even. Daniel knows it’s mostly his fault, but he can’t exactly bring himself to speak to Minhyun yet. What exactly is protocol when your temporary partner for a huge case is your ex-boyfriend?

Their breakup wasn’t even the messy kind, more on the ‘slowly drifting apart’ variety where work and studies led them to different paths. Led Minhyun back to their mutual hometown of Busan, for example. 

It doesn’t help that the past six years have been incredibly kind to Minhyun; he still looks more or less the same as the last time they’ve seen each other at Minhyun’s graduation. 

Still very much like Daniel’s ideal type.

If you know, they were in an alternate universe where they never met and their relationship slowly fizzled out.

He needs to stop thinking so loud.

“So,” Minhyun finally speaks up after a few more minutes of silence, and Daniel kind of feels bad because he’s not the only one feeling off about this entire thing. Kind of. 

“I know I’m the last person you want to see, but this case is really important. We work on catching this person, only talk about the case, then go back to our respective precincts. Okay?”

“Fine.” Daniel knows how to be professional, he’s an adult, for pete’s sake. He can do this. 

They don’t speak for the rest of the ride.

 

-

 

“This feels so odd,” Daniel says much later, once they’re holed inside one of the interrogation rooms, browsing through Minhyun’s notes. He’s not sure what’s more odd—seeing Minhyun here after several years or the fact that someone seems to be picking off their high schoolmates.

Kim Kyungwoon wasn’t the first dead body Daniel had seen, but it’s different when it’s someone you know. 

It’s even more damning when Daniel can match Minhyun’s list of victims to faces—people they’ve grown up with in Busan, boys who studied alongside them and who cheered with them during their sports festivals. Despite not knowing these people too well, it’s disconcerting to see those you’ve seen in their younger years, now grown-up and frozen at a certain age forever.

“It’s messed up,” Minhyun agrees, and Daniel stills in his seat, unaware that he had spoken that last thought aloud. “But it gives us a lead.”

Minhyun holds up a familiar blue cover that makes Daniel groan and bury his head in his hands. 

“Why do you have a copy of our high school yearbook here? What year is it—”

“Relax,” Minhyun snorts, opening the book and flipping the pages before settling on one. “I’ve had a hunch, but it was only when Kyungwoon was confirmed dead that I decided to check again.”

He points to the page he had paused on, where pictures of the victims are lined up in a row, smiling up at them both as if taunting them. 

“They were all in different positions of the student council the year I graduated and you were a second year, which increases the chances of the culprit being a former student of Daeyeon High School as well,” Minhyun continues, taking note of the remaining pictures on the page. “Based on the page, we can figure out who their next targets might be.”

Daniel looks down, frowning when he notices one of the pictures on the upper portion of the page. “Hyu—Detective.”

“Yes?”

“You were in the student council the year this yearbook was published.” Daniel looks down again, sees the neat letters that spell out Minhyun’s name along with the position of _President_ , and it’s easier to figure out why his ex is here. “You know who’s behind the murders.”

Minhyun sighs and closes the yearbook, fixing Daniel with a shrewd look. “I have my suspicions, yes.”

“Then why come here? Why involve my precinct?” _Why did you still come, knowing that I would be your partner?_ He doesn’t say it out loud, but the implication is there. 

“Because I needed your help,” Minhyun says simply, pointing to the picture next to his headshot in the yearbook. Daniel takes a look, his eyes widening in understanding when he sees another familiar face staring back at him. Choi Junyoung, the treasurer who had idolized Minhyun in their younger days but had dropped out after that school year . “You were always closer to him than I was, and call me naive, but maybe you would be able to get through to him.”

“You _are_ naive.” Daniel snorts, and it’s only then that Minhyun chuckles. It’s familiar, and it’s much better than the silence in the car earlier. “It’s okay though, you’ve always been better at seeing the best in people than I have.”

Minhyun smiles warmly at that, his ears slightly pink at the compliment. “Thank you.”

They fall silent soon after, but it’s different compared to the one during the car ride. It’s more comfortable, more like the old days.

Maybe there’s still hope.

 

-

 

“We need to draw him out,” Minhyun explains two days later as they drive to Choi’s apartment, having obtained a search warrant because apparently Choi already has a few records regarding petty theft and drug possession. “If we’re going by location for the victims, I would have been the next target, but he went to Seoul instead.”

“He probably knows you are a cop,” Daniel continues, keeping his eyes on the road and pointedly ignoring the fact that Minhyun had put _Separation Anxiety_ into the CD player. “What motive could he have for killing them though?”

“The only thing I can think of related to the council is that time we caught him stealing money from the treasury.”

“This is going to be a conversation I don’t want to hear.”

“You and me both.”

The apartment is empty when they arrive, but there are pictures of the victims scattered about the apartment, almost like he's taunting them for being slow.

Minhyun gathers the papers anyway, while Daniel checks the rest of the apartment. 

They don't know when he's going to strike next, but they do know who he might try to kill next.

It should be something. They just don't know if it's enough.

 

-

 

Choi makes his move when Minhyun is taken that night, an hour before Daniel finishes his own workload, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he places the last folder on the pile. 

His phone rings to inform him of a call, and Daniel tries to ignore how fast his heart is beating when Minhyun’s name is shown on the screen, answering it on the fifth ring.

The voice on the other end is nothing like Minhyun’s. “Don’t bother. I’m getting rid of this phone so don’t waste your resources tracking this number.”

“Where is he?” Daniel bites out, gripping his phone a little too hard.

“Just a little tied up,” Choi Junyoung says smoothly, chuckling. “Well, for now. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to his pretty little face, yes?”

Daniel takes a few deep breaths, knowing that he can’t lose his cool. Not when Minhyun is in a precarious position. “What do you want?”

“I’m not the type who can be bought, Detective Kang. What I do want, though, is to see you.”

It’s clearly a trap. Biting into it would be stupid, reckless, idiotic. But maybe it would be the opening he needs to rescue Minhyun. 

So he takes it.

“Where are you then?”

 

-

 

“You should have seen it,” Jaehwan tells Minhyun, who’s wrapped up in a thick blanket and drinking hot chocolate in their break room. “Daniel just pinned Choi down like he was a ragdoll.”

It’s five in the morning, and they’re still in the station but Daniel isn’t complaining. Sure they’re dead on their feet, but Minhyun’s safe. A little scratched up, but safe.

“I did see it.” Minhyun confirms, taking another sip before glancing at Daniel, who’s sitting across from him on the other couch and pointedly looking at his phone. “Does he usually do risky things like that?”

“All the time,” Jaehwan groans, ignoring the way Daniel whines and swatting his hands away. “You should visit us here. Like we're glad the case is solved, but it sucks that you have to go back to Busan.”

“Seongwoo hyung is going to dramatic about that when he gets back.” Daniel reminds him, and that's apparently the cue for Jaehwan to jump up, having forgotten to finish something for Captain Yoon. 

Jaehwan’s exit leaves just the two of them, and Minhyun immediately clears his throat, placing his mug on the table.

“Thank you. For saving me, I mean.”

“You're welcome.” The silence comes all too quickly, and it will probably remain that way considering their historyㅡ

“We're so bad at this.” Minhyun deadpans, and it's just so true that Daniel can't help but laugh.

“I know. You would think that knowing each other in high school and college would help, but here we are. Two cops with terrible communication skills.”

“We're not that bad,” Minhyun counters. “Only with each other. Especially when it mattered… during your last year of college.”

Daniel nods at that, leaning back against the couch. “It just seemed easier at the time. To not tell you I was struggling and worried if I would ever make a good detective or if I just wasted four years of my life.” 

“In my case, it seemed easier not to tell you how difficult the early days were. To not tell you that I was struggling and I wasn't sure if I had made the right decision to pursue being a cop.”

“We're a sorry pair, aren't we?” 

“Extremely sorry,” Daniel agrees. “Do you think we'd ever go back to before? Not necessarily together,“ He adds hastily. “But maybe as friends?”

Minhyun pauses at that, looking at him intently. “I'd like that.”

 

\- 

 

It's still chilly when Minhyun goes back to Busan, carrying the same luggage and wearing the same coat. He still listens to Nell on repeat and sings along with his eyes closed.

Daniel should know, he's the one who brought him to the station today.

“Hopefully you don't have to wait that long for Seongwoo.”

“I don't mind. Besides, he probably spent too many minutes saying goodbye to Jonghyun hyung until the train was about to leave.”

“That does sound like Seongwoo. I don’t know how they do the long distance thing.”

“Well, at least we know our friends have their shit together better than we do.” 

They end up laughing at that, and it’s Minhyun who stops laughing first, looking at Daniel with something that could be mistaken for fondness.

Daniel doesn’t really want to assume, he’s not ready for it to be wrong.

“Don’t be a stranger, okay? It really was good seeing you, Daniel, despite the circumstances. Hopefully there will be a next time and it will be better.”

 

\- 

 

_Five months later_

Daniel takes a few deep breaths, staring out the window once the train starts to slow down. He always visits Busan during the winter, so it feels odd seeing his hometown not covered in snow for once.

He hadn’t been able to visit the past winter, but his mother hadn’t minded much, had simply visited him in Seoul herself and stayed in her son’s apartment with his cats while fondly scolding him over hoarding too many jellies in his fridge.

It’s partly why he’s here now, armed with her favorite snacks and maybe a new manga for Jonghyun to placate his friends as to why he doesn’t stay long during his visits. The other major reason is… well, probably at work, catching criminals like the badass cop Daniel knows he is.

What he doesn’t expect is for said badass cop to be waiting for him on one of the benches near the vending machine. It feels a lot like deja vu, only with their roles reversed this time.

Daniel approaches carefully, and Minhyun must be distracted because he jumps a little when Daniel calls his attention with a “Hyung?”

“What are you doing here—” “I was supposed to visit you—” They both stop when they hear each other speak, and it’s noisy at the station, so Daniel has to move a little closer to hear Minhyun speak.

“Who are you here for?” Daniel opens his mouth to speak, about to explain how his mom strong-armed him into coming, how she knows he’s been avoiding confronting certain things here. He has a lot to say, for once, but none of those words quite fit. 

So he decides to just fuck it, and say what he really wants to say.

“I’m here for you.”

The smile he gets in return is very much worth it.


End file.
